Survival tips for the home-sweet-homebound

I’m a freelance writer and editor, which means that I make all of my money sitting at a desk in my home office.  I’m also a stay-at-home mom. In short, I get the best of both worlds. I have the privilege of changing all of the diapers and making goofy faces all day at my adoring peanut while maintaining my career in publishing. I work part-time, and I can control the amount of work on my plate, so I will be the first to say I am pretty darn lucky. But balancing these two huge responsibilities is quite a feat, and I’m still getting used to it. 


Even before I had my son, I knew that I wanted to work, but I also wanted to be at home. Thankfully, I chose a career that lets me do both. However, staying at home with the baby and working from home means that some days I don’t cross the threshold of the front door, and the only conversations I have are with a six-month-old who just pooped his pants. 



To keep my sanity, I live by the following eight rules:

Not all baby carriers are created equal

Over the past six months, I’ve had the opportunity to try out three different baby carriers. I started carrying baby when he was around 12 weeks, and it gave me a great sense of freedom. Instead of feeling stuck to the couch with a baby sleeping on my chest, I could wear him and do some simple household chores. After having limited mobility after a C-section, folding underwear was practically a thrill for me. I enjoy the closeness of wearing baby and being able to kiss the top of his head whenever I so please. I also find that in public, strangers are much less likely to touch your baby when he is nestled in between your boobs than when he is in a stroller or car seat. Rather, they can admire from afar, and that is A-okay with me.

I’ve rated the carriers using your basic A-F scale with A being the highest rating and F sucking bad.